Peter Nilsson

Peter Nilsson

Peter Nilsson is an educator, writer, and musician with over two decades of experience in teaching and school leadership. He was the head of school at King’s Academy, a coeducational boarding school in Jordan, and he taught English for 15 years and served in leadership positions at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. Peter is also the editor of The Educator’s Notebook, a weekly newsletter that gathers education- and learning-related news from around the web for the purpose of promoting innovation in education. He is the cofounder of Athena Lab, a collaborative online platform for teachers.

Peter serves on the advisory boards for SXSW EDU, the Center for Curriculum Redesign, and the Middle States Association’s Responsible AI in Learning endorsement. His presentations on AI in education, creative work, cognitive science, and educational technology have been featured at conferences in the United States and abroad, including SXSW EDU, the College Board, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2017, he became the first high school teacher to receive the Wolfram Innovator Award.

A composer and writer, Peter is also the creator of a musical about schools. His creative work in music and education reflects his belief that the most powerful learning happens at the intersections of disciplines, cultures, and ideas.

Peter studied English and music at Middlebury College, earned his master’s degree from Columbia University, and received a National Endowment for the Humanities institute grant to study Paradise Lost. He lives with his wife and two children and enjoys reading, trail running, and writing music.